Back to Search
Council adopted the Waterfront Access Master Plan (WAMP) at its May 27 meeting.
The City’s WAMP provides recommendations to improve access, connectivity, and enjoyment of the Lake Ontario waterfront at City-owned shoreline properties.
The project study area runs the entire shoreline, including the beaches, parks, trails, and other access points along the waterfront. Existing waterfront access is via either beach, boat launch, lookout, or stairs.
Since 2020, the City has had to either remove or repair various existing stairways that provide direct lakefront access in Port Dalhousie due to either shoreline protection installations to remediate erosion issues and / or the stairs’ condition. Many of the remaining stairs do not meet current standards and need replacement.
The City completed the WAMP as a guiding document to determine how existing and future access points could be provided to residents and visitors in a safe, accessible, and equitable way.
In 2023, the City retained Dillon Consulting to develop the master plan with guidance for short-term and long-term waterfront access investment and development, and ongoing operational and maintenance costs.
The plan classifies each of the City-owned properties into one of six waterfront access types and provides proposed implementation timelines that vary from immediate to beyond 2035.
Priority for the implementation of the recommendations was given to sites where either the recommended work has already been budgeted or other work at the site has been included in a capital budget and doing both projects at the same time would be cost-effective.
Locations for waterfront access work not yet budgeted will require additional funds through the budget reconfirmation process.
These are the immediate priority waterfront access work locations:
- Brock Street right-of-way (community waterfront vista)
- Christie Street right-of-way (community waterfront park)
- Lake Street right-of-way (community waterfront vista)
- Newport Street right-of-way (community waterfront vista)
- Simcoe Street right-of-way (community waterfront vista)
- Sunset Beach (waterfront destination): funds previously budgeted for work with design underway
Subscribe